Match-box.



AUNITED :STATES .Patented May s1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

'EDWARD OoAFRIs, oF-wAsIIINGTON, IOWA, AssIGNoF OF ONF-.HALF

j To sFTII D. OAFFIs, OF DUBLIN, IOWA.

MATCH-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,625, dated May 31, 1904. Application filed Novembre'. l1, 1903. Serial No. 180,700. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom. it may concern.-

'Be it known that I, EDWARD C. CARRIs, a. citizen of the United States, and a resident of vclass that supply a single match at a time for removal from thebox, and has for its object to provide novel details of construction for a device ofthe class indicated which adapt the improved match-box to mechanically elevate a single match from a number in the receptanamental appearance.

cle and retain'it at a selected point on the box for removal, lthe mechanism being arrested by the'elevated match and operating for the li-fting of another match only when the one held is removed. f

` The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is herelnaf- .ter'described, yand'deined in the appended claims.

Reference isto be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures Figure l is a perspective view of the imlproved match-box having a portion of one side wall removed to expose the interior parts. Fig. 2 'is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 2 2 in. Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a partly-sectional side view ofthe improved match-box, showing themechanical details as theyappear during the act of lifting matches from ,the holder-tray; and Fig'. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3, but showing' detail features of theedevice in the slightly-altered position they assume on completion of the selection of a single match for subsequentelevation and removal. y

The box-body may be formed of any suitable material and be shaped to give it an or- As shown, one form` thereof may be rectangular, comprising an oblongvstructure open at the ends and having planes by the bottom wall 5a and a top wall, the latter being formed in two sections 5b 5,

that may be hinged together, as shown at a. Between the sides 5 a cylinder 6 is introduced, which is formed of any preferred material, and at the centers of its parallel walls pivots are projected therefrom, which loosely engage opposite perforations in the sides 5,

whereby the cylinder is held to rotate, and, as

shown, a portion of the cylinder 6 is projected up through an opening c in thek section 5b of the top of the box-body. The section 5b of the top of the box-body is secured upon the .upper edges of the sides 5; but the section 5c is not aliixed thereto and serves as a lid. Below and near the lid 5C a tray-board 7 is secured by its side edges .between the sides 5, this board having a suitable inclination from the like ends'of the sides 5 toward and near tov the lower portion of the cylinder 6, and at said downwardly-inclined end of the tray-board a transverse ledgeor strip 7 a is secured, which loosely contacts with the cylinder, as shown in Figs; l, 3, and 4. Upon the cylinder 6 two llifting-fingers Z are secured in a plane parallel with the axis of the'cylinder and respectively 4positioned near an Vend wall of the cylinder,

said fingers, that may be pieces of wire-rod material, havingv an equal inclination toward the lid 5c.

` yIn the lower edge of thetray-b'oard 7 and 'in the ledge 7 a two spaced notches e are formed, through which the lingers CZ may freely pass, and they also have clearance from the transverse adjacent edge of the fixed top section 5b'.

In the space provided between one end wall A tripping-shaft 14 is held to roclr trans? versely on the cylinder 6 by the staples g or other suitable means, and from said shaft two arms L are projected at right angles thereto parallel with each other in the same plane and toward the fingers CZ, to which they are re'- spectively adjacent, as shown in Fig. 2, the

shaft and arms being bedded in suitable recesses formed in the peripheral surface of the cylinder 6. A rock-arm z' is formed or secured on the end of the shaft 14 farthest from the spur-gear 8this arm projecting at a right angle from the shaft and at a proper angle to the plane occupied by the tripping-arms 71,. The rock-arm c' is loosely positioned in a recess j, having communication at the inner end with the circular channel j", formed in one end wall of the cylinder 6, this provision permitting said end of the cylinder to work closely to one side wall 5 of the box-body and provide proper space at this end of the cylinder to insure that the heads of the matches A will not have frictional contact therewith when the cylinder is moved. f

A stud m projects from the inner surface of the side wall 5 adjacent to the rock-arm and in the path of said arm by entering the circular channel y", so that upon turning the cylinder 6 on the direction of the arrow .fr the contact of the rock-arm with the stud will rock the shaft 14 and correspondingly rock the tripping-arms L outward or from the periphery of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the fixed top section 5b of the box-body a stop 15 is secured and projects over the cylinder 6 at a point between the sides 5, which will locate it between the tripping-arms L when the cylinder is turned to dispose the rock-shaft 14 below the stop-arm. Preferably the stop 15 is in the form of a curved arm and at its free end may have fern ed thereon an upturned abutment-flange a, and the curvature of lthe stop 15 is such that the free end vis located near the peripheral surface of the cylinder 6.

As shown, the tray-board 7 and ledge 7l1 thereon afford an inclined support for matches A, that may be deposited on the tray-board, and will normally assume a' transverse position, resting against the cylinder 6 and the ledge 7 a, the heads of the matches being r;- moved a proper distance from the side wall 5 of the boX, toward which they project. Assuming that a number of matches have been placed in position on the tray-board 7 and the spring-motor is wound up so as to adapt it to transmit rotary motion through the intermediate gear-train to the cylinder 6, it will be seen that the rotary movement of the cylinder 6 will, if the fingers d are above the matches A, cause said fingers to pass upward, through the notches ein the edge of the trayboard and in the ledge 7, into engagement with the matches that lie close to the latter. The continued rotatable movement of the cylinder 6 in the direction of the arrow rv will cause the fingers Z to lift one or more matches A as they pile upon the fingers, as shown in Fig. 3. The rock-shaft 14 is so relatively positioned with regard to the fingers d that the depresse-d tripping-arms 71, will pass beneath the uppermost matches that are supported on the fingers (Z an instant before the rock-arm comes into contact with the abutment-studia. The rock-arm is rocked downward by its impingement upon the stud fm, and the tripj'iing-arms /L move outward so as to dislodge the matches A that are piled upon the lower one, which is directly engaged by the fingers d. After the stud m is passed by the rock-arm vi the weight of the trippingarms t will cause them to return to a normal position in the recesses formed to receive them in the surface of the cylinder 6. The single match A is now moved upward bythe fingers d until it is brought into contact with the stop-arm 15, which will hold the match and obviously arrest the rotatable movement of the cylinder 6. An opening or cavity o of' proper form is made in the periphery of the cylinder 6 at a point that will permit the match that is held as shown in Fig. l to be gripped between the thumb and fingers of a persons hand, and thus facilitate the removal of' the match as occasion may require. Upon the withdrawal of the match from between the fingers CZ and stop-arm 15 the motor will resume motion and turn the cylinder 6 sufficiently in the direction of the arrow .fr to pass the fingers below the matches held on the inclined tray-board 7 and again elevate one or more matches, the surplus of which will be dislodged from the fingers, as before explained, and it will be apparent that the operation of the mechanical details of the matchbox may be indefinitely 1 epeated while a supply of matches is placed upon the tray-board and the motor is wound up so as to adapt it to transmit motion to the cylinder.

Amotive power other than a spring may be employed for turning the cylinder of the device, and I do not restrict the construction to the spring as a motive force, as a small electric motor may obviously be employed, or the gravity of 0 weight may be substituted for a spring witv 75.1 the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten t 1. A mechanically operated match box, comprising a box-body, a cylinder held to rotate therein, a tray-board held in the box-bod y and inclined toward the cylinder, fingers on the cylinder, adapted to piek up a match 'from the tray-board, a stop on the top of the boxbody, that arrests the rotary movement of the cylinder by contact with a match carried by the fingers, and means for rotating thc cylinc er.

2. A mechanically operated match box, comprising a box-body, a cylinder held to rotate therein, an inclined tray-board held between the sides of the box-body and extended near the lower side of the cylinder, fingers projected tangentially from the periphery of the cylinder and adapted to pick up one or more matches from the tray-board, a rock- IOO shaft carried by the cylinder and having tripping-arms thereon and a rock-arm at one end, an. abutment-stud on the box-body, whereon the rock-arm may impinge when the cylinder is rotated and cause the tripping-arms to dislodge surplus matchesfrom the fingers, ya stop on the top of the box-body that arrests the rotary movement of the cylinder by contact with a match carried by the lingers, and means for rotating the cylinder.

3. A mechanically operated match box, comprising a box-body having parallel side walls and an apertured top wall, a cylinder pivoted between the sides of the box-body, an inclined tray-board held between the sides of the boX and extended close to the lower portion of the cylinder, lingers projected tangentially from the periphery of the cylinder and adapted to pick up one or more matches from the tray-board, a rock-shaft having trippingarms thereon, held to rock in recesses in the periphery of the cylinder, a rock-arm on one end of the rock-shaft, an abutment on one side of the box-body, whereon the rock-arm will impinge when the cylinder is rotated and cause scribing witnesses.

the tripping-arms to dislodge surplus matches from the fingers, a stop-arm on the top wall of the box-body, that projects above the cyl# inder and arrests the rotatable movement of the cylinder when a match carried by the fingers has contactvtherewith, and a motor connected by gearing with a pivot of the cylinder and adapted to transmit motion thereto when a lifted match is removed from between the lingers and stop-arm.

4. In a device of the character described, the .mechanically-rotated cylinder pivoted in the match-box body, lingers on the cylinder, the tray-board which feed matches to the fingers,

the means for removing surplus matches from the lingers, and the motor having geared connection with the cylinder for its rotation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- EDWARD C. CARRIS.

Witnesses:

CoRA CARRIS, JOHN J AY. 

